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A Vegetarian Diet for Heart Health

Research points to the positive effects of a vegetarian diet to reduce heart disease risk. Even if you don't cut out meat completely, just increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables can offer you some protection.

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Vegetarian diets boast a number of health benefits. They can decrease your risk of developing metabolic syndrome, which can put you at greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

Having metabolic syndrome means you have at least three out of five significant heart health risk factors, including high blood pressure, low good cholesterol, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, and an expanded waist size.

A study published in the journal Diabetes Care looked at 700 adults and found that 25 percent of people on a complete vegetarian diet had metabolic syndrome, compared to 37 percent of partial vegetarians and 39 percent of non-vegetarians. These findings support those of many other studies showing that a vegetarian diet is good for heart health and lowers your risk for high blood pressure and obesity.

Why Going Vegetarian Is Good for Heart Health

"The main heart health benefit is that a vegetarian diet substitutes proteins like legumes and beans for the protein supplied by animal products. That makes a vegetarian diet very low in saturated fats and cholesterol," says Danya L. Dinwoodey, MD, a cardiologist at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass.

Other heart health benefits from a vegetarian diet include:

More fiber for better cholesterol. "A vegetarian diet is high in fiber from fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. A high-fiber diet is good for cholesterol, and that is good for heart health," says Dr. Dinwoodey.

Fewer calories for better weight control. Eliminating fats that are found in animal products reduces calories; plus, many replacement foods are high in fiber to fill you up faster so you eat less. Fewer calories mean less risk for obesity, and that's also good for heart health.

More fruits and vegetables mean more heart-healthy nutrients. "Leafy greens and fruits are high in vitamin C and other antioxidants, which help protect against heart disease," explains Dinwoodey.

Tailoring These Results to Your Diet

"The good news about this study is that you don't need to be a complete vegetarian to benefit from eating less meat," says Dinwoodey. “By reducing your meat portions, substituting proteins from other sources a few times per week, and filling your plate with fruits and vegetables, you can get many of the heart health benefits of a vegetarian diet.”

Here are some tips for eating a partial vegetarian diet to better manage weight:

Snacks and desserts: Get more nutrition into your day with a strawberry smoothie for a midday pick-me-up, or a watermelon blueberry banana split for dessert.

The important takeaway from this study is that less red meat and more fruits and vegetables are good for heart health. "If you want to prevent heart disease and manage your weight, get more of your calories from healthier food sources, and don't forget about regular exercise," says Dinwoodey.

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